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  System and method for automating power generation, propulsion and use managementUSPTO Application #: 20060208570Title: System and method for automating power generation, propulsion and use management Abstract: An automated energy generating and energy using system is provided. The system includes at least one electric energy user, at least one electric energy source, and may also include at least one electric energy storage element. These elements are instrumented so that each electric energy user has a sensor for determining an amount of energy used, each electric energy source has a sensor for determining an amount of energy provided, and electric energy storage element has a sensor for determining an amount of energy available in the storage element. A controller is operatively connected to each energy source, energy storage element and sensor. The controller is configured to control a level of operation of the at least one source of energy based upon at least the amount of energy used and the amount of energy available in the storage element, if employed. In this way, an automated electrical energy system is provided. (end of abstract) Agent: Nutter Mcclennen & Fish LLP - Boston, MA, US Inventors: Andrew J. Christian, R. Alex Pesiridis USPTO Applicaton #: 20060208570 - Class: 307010100 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060208570. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/660,659, filed on Mar. 11, 2005, and entitled "System for Automation for Power Generation, Propulsion and Use Management," which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates generally to control of self-contained, autonomous energy producing and using systems and more specifically to the monitoring of system conditions and health and the automatic control and adjustment of component parameters to maintain proper energy levels and system health while providing for safety of the operation of such systems and provides a means to log events and periodically log conditions. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] As mechanized systems, including propulsion systems, have become more sophisticated, logic controls have been employed to monitor and automatically adjust functions of such systems in order to better maintain their operation. To this point, these systems have largely been energy users, and, only on a limited basis, have they been energy producers, energy storers, or a combination thereof. [0004] In an effort to provide more energy efficient systems and to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, propulsion systems that employ a motor-generator have been developed. Under certain conditions, such motor-generators are capable not only of providing energy, but of producing regenerative energy. One such system can employ the Electric Wheel.TM. marketed by Solomon Technologies, Inc. of Tarpon Springs, Fla., the operation of which is generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,932 entitled "Dual-input Infinite-speed Integral Motor and Transmission device," U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,730 entitled "Multiple-input Infinite-speed Integral Motor and Transmission Device," and U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,162 entitled "System and Apparatus for a Multiple Input and Dual Output Electric Differential Motor Transmission Device," each of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The Electric Wheel, or any motor, be it rotational, linear or other type of device, is capable of functioning as a generator when outside, kinetic or stored force is applied to the system. A set of tools, some manual and some automatic, are described in British Patent No. 472,472 "Improvements in Means for Controlling the Excitation of Dynamo Electric Machines," some aspects of which are improved upon in PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 2005/075234, entitled "Regenerative Motor Propulsion Systems," which is also hereby incorporated by reference herein. The application of this technology is generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,228 entitled "Method and apparatus for propelling a marine vessel," which is also hereby incorporated by reference herein. [0005] Despite these advances, there are still no successful applications of vehicle/vessel autonomous position and attitude control to power generation/use management systems. As power consumption and systems health on autonomous vehicles/vessels containing complex multi-source/multi-use systems is of high concern, integrating health management and automatic systems control for the power management into the basic system becomes more important, but much of the prior art addresses only individual component control while little is successfully accomplished for control of the total system or to account for unique and special conditions that can exist in such total systems. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] The present invention includes methods, systems, and algorithms for an autonomous energy generating and energy using system that can enhance system monitoring, control, maintenance, efficiency, and safety. In one embodiment one or more energy sources are utilized along with one or more energy storage devices, all of these can be monitored and controlled by a logic control function which senses both system-internal and external conditions to provide for various desirable functions. The various system components can be arranged and connected in such a way that the logic control function can consider overall system condition and health and provide for a desirable system maintenance regiment while also providing for a means of logging periodic and special events. [0007] An example of a system of the invention is a parallel-hybrid system employing one or more power production elements, but more usually two or more, that are used to provide for vessel propulsion and/or one or more energy electrical outputs, all being monitored and controlled by a digital computer or other logic processing system. This embodiment can provide for a completely autonomous vessel capable of generating its own energy from renewable and expendable sources, storing that energy and using it for propulsion, house/hotel/office building loads, and/or being available for supply to users outside the system such as to a power grid. [0008] In one aspect, the invention provides an automated energy generating and energy using system. The system includes at least one electric energy user, at least one electric energy source, and at least one electric energy storage element. These elements are instrumented so that each electric energy user has a sensor for determining an amount of energy used, each electric energy source has a sensor for determining an amount of energy provided, and electric energy storage element has a sensor for determining an amount of energy available in the storage element. A controller is operatively connected to each energy source, energy storage element and sensor. The controller is configured to control a level of operation of the at least one source of energy based upon at least the amount of energy used and the amount of energy available in the storage element. In this way, an automated electrical energy system is provided. [0009] A vehicle having an automated energy generating and energy using system is provided in a further aspect of the invention. The system includes at least one electric energy user, at least one electric energy source, and at least one electric energy storage element. In particular, the at least one electric energy user includes at least one electric motor that is used to propel the vehicle. These elements of the system are instrumented so that each electric energy user has a sensor for determining an amount of energy used, each electric energy source has a sensor for determining an amount of energy provided, and electric energy storage element has a sensor for determining an amount of energy available in the storage element. A controller is operatively connected to each energy source, energy storage element and sensor. The controller is configured to control a level of operation of the at least one source of energy based upon at least the amount of energy used and the amount of energy available in the storage element. [0010] In a still further aspect of the invention, a method of controlling an automated energy generating and energy using system is provided. The system in which this method is applied has at least one electric energy user, at least one electric energy source, and at least one electric energy storage element. These elements are instrumented so that each electric energy user has a sensor for determining an amount of energy used, each electric energy source has a sensor for determining an amount of energy provided, and electric energy storage element has a sensor for determining an amount of energy available in the storage element. A controller is operatively connected to each energy source, energy storage element and sensor. The method includes querying by the controller of each energy user sensor to determine the amount of energy being used in the system, querying by the controller of each energy source sensor to determine the amount of energy being provided in the system, and querying by the controller of the storage element sensor to determine the amount of energy available in the storage element. The method further includes adjusting by the controller of a level of operation of at least one energy source based on the inputs. [0011] In another aspect of the invention, an automated energy generating and energy using system for use in a vehicle is provided having at least one electric energy user, at least one energy source, and a controller. The energy user includes an electric motor for providing propulsion and a sensor for determining the amount of energy used. The energy source has a sensor for determining the amount of energy provided. The controller is operatively connected to each energy source and sensor and is configured to control a level of operation of the energy source based at least upon the amount of energy used. In specific embodiments of the invention, the system can further comprise a throttle configured to allow a user to control a level of operation of at least one energy user in the system. The throttle can include a sensor indicating the throttle position to the controller, and the controller can control a level of operation of at least one source of energy based upon at least the position of the throttle. [0012] In further embodiments, the energy storage element can include one or more batteries and a battery charging unit. In these embodiments, the controller can control a level of operation of at least one energy source based upon the amount of energy being used or provided by the battery and the battery charging unit and the amount of energy available in the batteries. Where the energy sources include an on-demand, consumable energy source, controlling the level of operation of the energy source can include turning the on-demand, consumable energy source on and off. Still further, the system can include a plurality of electric energy sources and the controller can be configured to control a level of operation of the battery charger and each energy source to provide a bulk charge, an acceptance charge, and a float charge based upon the amount of energy available in the energy storage element. [0013] Additionally, the controller can include a memory for storing historical inputs from the sensors and can be configured to provide adaptive control to controlling the level of operation of the sources of energy. Where the system includes a throttle configured to allow a user to control a level of operation of at least one energy user in the system and the throttle including a sensor indicating the throttle position to the controller, the controller can also control a level of operation of at least one energy user in the system by adjusting a position of the throttle, with the memory storing historical positions of the throttle and applying adaptive control to control position of the throttle. [0014] Where the systems and method are applied to a vehicle, the vehicle can further includes a speed sensor that senses a speed of the vehicle and communicates a signal representative of the speed to the controller for the controller to use in controlling various aspects of the system. The controller can also operate so as to adjust the throttle to maintain a maximum efficient velocity of the vehicle, or to maintain a no-drag state of an electric motor that provides propulsion for the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] The invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: [0016] FIG. 1 provides a diagram of a system of the invention illustrating a number of system elements and their communication channels; [0017] FIG. 1A provides a state diagram illustrating a possible flow of events and reactions for the system of FIG. 1; [0018] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the invention for general vessel energy management; [0019] FIG. 2A provides a state diagram illustrating a possible flow of events and reactions for the system of FIG. 2. Continue reading... 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